Steam-propelled vehicle.



No. 757,808. PATENTED APR. 19, 1904.

H. K. HESS.

STEAM PROPELLED VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED mm. 21, 1901 N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-$113311.

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No. 757,808. PATENTEDAPR. 19, 1904.

H. K. HESS.

STEAM PROPELLED VEHICLE.

APPLIGATION FILED DEC. 21, 1901.

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UNITED STATES Patented April 19, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY K. HESS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

STEAM-PROPELLEDF VEHICLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 757,808, dated April 19, 1904.

Application filed December 21, 1901. Serial No. 86,742. (No model.)

To (LZZ whom, it DLH/Z/ concern:

Beitknown that I,HENRY ICHnss, of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Steam-Propelled Vehicles, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and-exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in steam-propelled vehicles, having particular reference to automobiles.

The primary object is to regulate the conibustion and distribution of fuel in the combustion-chamber.

The more specific object is to provide means controlled by the steam-pressure for automatically regulating the inlet of air to the combustion-chamber.

A further object is to provide a fuel-feed and rotary grate both of which are mechanic- 'ally controlled at the will of the operator for feeding and distributing fuel in V the combustion-chamber.

Anotherobject is to provide means whereby the air-blast mechanism may be operated by the engine independently of the running-gear or simultaneously therewith.

A still further object is to provide means in proximity to the seat for controlling the fuelfeed mechanism.

To this end the invention consists in the combination, construction, and arrangement of the parts of a steam-propelled vehicle, as hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claim.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a steampropelled vehicle embodying the various features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of a portion of a steamgenerator and combustion-chamber and the mechanism for automatically controlling the supply of air to the combustion-chamber, a blower for producing an air-blast, and means for controlling the operation of the fuel-feed mechanism being also shown in connection with a portion of the body of the vehicle. Fig. 3 is ahorizontal section through the lower portion of the steam-generator, showing the crank-shaft of the engine, the fuel-feed mechanism; the air-feeding device, and the means for rotating the grate. Fig. A is an elevation, partly in section, of the mechanisms seen in Fig. 3.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

In steam-propelled vehicles of this class it has been found that charcoal and other cheaper grades of coal can be successfully employed as a fuel and that charcoal has particular advantages over other (liquid or vapor) fuels by reason of the fact that it is economical, is free from odor or dangerous explosive gases, and may be carried in large quantities upon the vehicle-body without adding materially to the weight of the vehicle. I

Another feature of advantage of the use of charcoal is that under certain conditions hereinafter described it produces an intense heat within a very short period of time,'thereby enabling the operator to quickly raise the steam to the required pressure and when the vehicle is not in use the embers retain the heat to the point of ignition for a long period of time. i

In the drawings I have shown a runninggear A, having a vehicle-body B, upon which is mounted the steam-generator C, an engine D, suitable fuel-bunkers E, means for' fceding the fuel to the combustion-chamber of the generator, additional means for introducing air into the combustion-chamber, mechanism for automatically regulating the quantity of air thus admitted to the combustion-chamber, and means for rotating the grate.

The running-gear A and body B may be of any desired form or construction adapted to the purposes for which the vehicle is used, the running-gear being here shown as comprising front and rear axles a, having wheels (0 and a suitable steering device A, and the body B is mounted upon the running-gear and is provided with a seat B and lower and upper decks b and Z).

The generator 0 is preferably supported in the body of the vehicle between the decks b and 6, usually extending beneath the lower deck, and is preferably of the upright-flue type, having a smoke-chamber at its upper end and a combustion-chamber in its base adapted to burn charcoal or other cheap coal fuel. This combustion-chamber is provided with a rotary grate'l, beneath which is a suitable ash-pit 2, having a discharge-opening 3, normally closed by a cap 4.

The grate 1 is provided with an annular flange normally resting between shoulders 5 on the shell of the generator for the purpose of holding the grate in its operative position. These shoulders preferably consist of annular flanges and may, if desired, be provided with suitable roller-bearings (not shown) for the purpose of reducing the friction incidental to the rotation of the grate.

The engine D may also be of any desired form or construction adapted to rotate a crank-shaft 6, presently described, said engine receiving steam from the boiler C through a conduit d in the usual manner and not necessary to further illustrate or describe, as the engine and its connections with the boiler forms no part of my present invention.

The coal-bunkers E are similar in construction to those set forth in my former application, Serial No. 82, 37 6, filed November 1 5, 1901, except that only one of the coal-bunkers is connected to the fuel-feed hereinafter described, the other bunker being simply used as a storage-reservoir for additional fuel and serves to equalize the load upon the vehicle-body. It is evident, however, that but one coal-bunker is necessary, as but one fuel-feed is employed to convey the fuel from the bunker to the combustion chamber, and therefore it is not deemed necessary to show either one or both of these bunkers in detail, as they are substantially the same as those set forth in my application above referred to.

The crank-shaft 6 of the engine is rotated in the usual manner and is provided witha sprocket-wheel 7 which is loosely mounted upon the shaft, is movable endwise thereon by a lever or equivalent device 8, and is provided with a clutch-face adapted to engage a similar clutch-face upon a rotary fan or blower also mounted upon the crank-shaft and secured thereto so as to rotate when the engine is in operation. This clutch mechanism and blower is similar to that set forth in my application above referred to, the blower being mounted in a suitable case 9, which is held in position by arms 10, secured to the body of the vehicle.

The sprocket-wheel 7 is connected to a similar sprocket-wheel 7 upon the rear axle a for transmitting power from the crank-shaft to the running-gear when the clutch is in its operative position. The object of this clutch is to disconnect the running-gear from the crankshaft, so that the blower may be operated independently of the runninggearas, for instance, when generating steam but a small pressure is required to operate the blower for beneath the grate.

producing an air-blast-whereby the steam may be quickly raised to the desired pressure for propelling the vehicle.

I preferably employ suitable means controlled by the pressure of steam for regulating the quantity of air admitted to the combustion-chamber, and this means is here shown as consisting of a cylinder 11 and a valvechamber 12, the cylinder 11 being connected to the steam-dome of a generator by a con duit 13,and the valve-chamber 12 is connected to the blower 9 by a suitable conduit 14 and to the combustion-chamber of the generator duit discharging into the combustion-chamber 1 preferably provide the valve-chamber 12 with suitable outlet-ports 16, which connect the valve-chamber 12 to an air-chamber 17, the conduit 14: preferably discharging into the end of the valve-chamber 12, and the conduit 15 is arranged to conduct the air from the air-chamber 17 into the combustion-chamber beneath the grate.

Movable in the cylinder 11 is a piston 18, which is actuated in one direction by the pressure of steam in the conduit 13 against the action of a spring or equivalent device 19, said spring being interposed between the piston and the opposite end of the cylinder and adapted to return the piston to its normal position.

Connected to the piston by a suitable rod 20 is a valve 21, movable in the valve-chamber 12, and is adapted to automatically regulate the quantity of air discharged from said chamber 12 to the burner. 21 are so arranged that as the pressure of steam increases the piston 18 is moved forwardly against the action of the spring 19, thereby moving the valve 21 and gradually closing the ports 16, so as to shut off the airfeed from the chamber 12 through the conduit 15, thereby automatically maintaining a substantially uniform steam-pressure, it being understood that as the quantity of air admitted to the combustion-chamber is reduced the spring 19 operates the piston 18 in the opposite direction, and thereby causes the valve 21 to uncover the ports 16 for the purpose of admitting additional air to the combustionchamber, which again raises the steampressure, this operation being repeated to maintain a substantially uniform steam-pressure when the engine is in operation.

Although I have just described a blower for forcing air into the combustion-chamber, it is apparent that the air may be drawn into the chamber by suction or may be forced therein by any other well-known air-feeding device, the essential feature of novelty being the provision of suitable means actuated by the steampressure of the generator to automatically control the quantity of air admitted to the combustion-chamber.

The means for controlling the feed of the This piston 18 and valve by an additional conduit 15, this latter con- IIS fuel to the combustion-chamber is similar to that set forth in my pending application, Serial No. 82,376, above referred to, and consists of a rotary screw 22, movable in a' chute 23 and having its outer end provided with a gear 24, meshing with a pinion 25 upon a shaft 26, and this latter shaft being provided with a gear 27, which meshes with a similar gear 28, mounted upon a rock-arm 29, having a pedal in proximity to the seat whereby the gear 28 may be moved into and out of engagement with the gear 31 upon the crankshaft 6 of the engine.

The chute 23 discharges into the combustion-chamber of the generator, being provided with an opening 32, communicating with the coal-bunker E, and it is thus evident that when the gear 28 is forced into engagement with the gear 31 by the pedal 30 the screw 22 is rotated and feeds the fuel onto the grate 1.

In order that the fuel may be evenly distributed over the entire surface of the grate, I preferably provide means for rotating the same either simultaneously with or independently of the rotation of the screw 22. This operation may be accomplished in any desired manner, but I have shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4 a rotary shaft 33 suitably mounted, having one end provided with a gear 34, meshing with a circular rack 35 on the rotary grate, while its other end is provided with a gear 36, meshing with a pinion 37, and an additional gear 38, the gear 37 being mounted upon a shaft 39, which is provided wit-h a gear 40, meshing with another gear 41,journaled upon a rock-arm 42 having a pedal 43. This rockarm 42 is loosely journaled upon the shaft 39 and is adapted to force the gear 41 into and out of engagement with a similar gear 43, whereby motion may be transmitted from the crank-shaft 6 to the shafts 39 and 33.

The parts just described are very similar to the parts of the mechanism for controlling the operation of the screw 22, and it is evident that the rotation of the screw and grate may be controlled by the operator from the seat of the vehicle by means of the pedals 30 and 43.

It may be desired at times to rotate the grate 1 independently of the engine, and I therefore provide the gear 38, which is mounted upon an upright shaft 44, having a handpiece in proximity to the seat of the vehicle, whereby the shaft 33 may be rotated when the rock-arm 42 is in its inoperative position. In like manner the screw 22 may be operated by hand, as set forth in my pending application above referred to.

In the operation of my invention the screw 22- is first operated to feed the fuel onto the grate, and the grate is then rotated by means of the handpiece 45 to distribute the fuel evenly over the surface of the grate as it is being fed into the combustion-chamber. The fuel is then ignited, and when the steam-pressure is sufficient the engine is operated independently of the running-gear to operate the blower for forcing air through the conduit 14 into the valve-chamber 12 and through the ports 16 and conduit 15 into the base of the combustion-chamber. This rapidly increases the combustion of the fuel and causes the steam to raise quickly until the pressure against the piston 18 is sufficient to overcome the resistance of the spring 19, thereby moving the valve 21 to gradually close the ports 16, and thereby partially or wholly cut off the supply of air through the conduit 15 to the combustion-chamber. This retards the combustion, thereby reducing the steam-pressure, and the spring 19 again moves the valve 21 to open the ports 16, this operation being repeated for maintaining a substantially uniform steam-pressure in the boiler.

The operation of my invention will now be readily understood upon reference to the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings, and it will be noted that the detail construction and arrangement may be modified without departing from the spirit of this invention. Therefore I do not limit myself to the precise construction shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patcut, is

In a steam-propelled vehicle, the combination with an engine and a steam-boiler mount ed on the vehicle, an air-blast device connected to and actuated by the engine, a steamcylin V der connected to the boiler and receiving steam therefrom, a piston in the cylinder actuated in one direction by the steam-pressure, a spring for returning the piston, an air-chamber connected to and receiving air from the air-blast device and provided with an exhaust-port communicating with the combustion-chamber of the boiler, and a valve in the air-chamber'operatively connected to and actuated by the piston and movable across the exhaust-port to close and open the port as the steam-pressure in the cylinder raises and lowers.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 10th day of December, 1901.

HENRY K. HESS. Witnesses:

MILTON WOLF, E. M. Hnss. 

